


Date Night

by L_Moonshade



Series: Altered Realities [17]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 06:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4424585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Moonshade/pseuds/L_Moonshade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil hasn't truly enjoyed his birthday in years, but it's gotten worse since he lost his twin.<br/>This one may be a bit better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Date Night

Phil frowned at the knock on his door, wondering who it could be, surprised to see Kate and Methos, especially since they weren't supposed to know where his new apartment was. He didn't have to think twice about letting them in, though.

It didn't escape Phil's notice that they each held a couple of grocery bags. "What are you doing here? And are those groceries?"

"We figured you had an evening of bad TV and worse takeout planned, so we came to rescue you with dim sum, orange beef, and a movie Kate promises we'll love," Methos said, starting to pull ingredients out of the bags.

Phil blinked, thrown off-guard. "Oh. Why?"

Kate set her bag down and started unpacking as well. "And German chocolate cake."

He heaved a sigh. It was his favorite, and he had no doubt they knew that. "Of course you remembered my birthday."

"Why wouldn't we? It was only the day before yesterday." Methos opened a bottle of wine and poured three glasses, setting two on the breakfast bar. "Sit down, drink some wine, and stay the fuck out of my kitchen."

Phil gave Kate a dry look. "I'd forgotten how much of a tyrant he is."

Methos scoffed. "She's no better. She threatened to shoot me, once."

"Not only did you not stay out of the kitchen, but you came up behind me."

"You were going to boil over."

"Not with the spoon over the pan."

Phil shook his head. "You do realize that I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kate patted his shoulder. "It's cooking, Sweetie. Don't trouble yourself."

Phil took a sip of wine to hide a smile and admitted (to himself, at least) that this was a much nicer evening than he'd had planned. "Dare I ask how you found out where I live?"

"Cunning and subterfuge," Kate said, voice smug.

Phil was starting to learn their language and was afraid he knew what that meant. "You talked to Pop?"

Methos glanced back with a little smile. "Yep."

Phil pinched the bridge of his nose, more to keep them from seeing how touched he really was than because he was annoyed. "And he just up and told you."

"What? He liked the idea of your not being alone for once."

Phil was afraid that meant an ulterior motive, but since he couldn't even begin to fathom what it could be, he decided to just enjoy dinner and company and worry about it later. After they'd eaten they settled on the sofa to watch the movie, Kate in Methos' lap with her feet in Phil's. He fumbled a moment, wondering what to do with his hands, until Kate leaned forward, grabbed them, and put them on her legs.

"It's okay to touch," she said with a wink, then started the movie.

When it was over, Methos snickered. "Agent K and Phil Coulson, separated at birth."

Phil stilled for a moment. "Is that how you see me? Humorless…"

Kate nudged his leg with a foot. "Silly. K's the funniest guy in the movie."

"You are most definitely not humorless," Methos agreed. "While most people don't appreciate a dry sense of humor, and while you may not hear us on the comms, you really do make us laugh."

Phil hid a smile; he liked the fact that his humor went over most people's heads. He liked it even more that Kate, Methos, and Clint appreciated it. "I just hope that movie's not a preview of things to come."

Kate gave a smirk. "Spoilers, Sweetie."

He sighed. "I hate you."

Methos huffed. "Join the club. We've got T-shirts."

Kate just grinned. Methos stood, taking her with him, then turned to drop her on the sofa next to Phil. "If you'll excuse me," he said, heading to the bathroom.

"That's okay, I think I need another glass of wine." Phil normally only had one, since his healing factor didn't work as quickly as an Immortal's. But now, he had the feeling he was going to need a second if he was going to find the courage to start the conversation. "Thanks for coming," he said when Methos came back out, "it really was a nice evening. That being said, why do I have the feeling there's another reason you're here?"

"Because you're a perceptive man," Methos said, pouring himself another glass and returning to the sofa. "Though, we really are here because of you."

Phil took a long sip then set the glass down. "Okay. Let's have it."

"I don't think it'll come as any great shock that we both developed a little crush on you after the Horsemen…"

"Speak for yourself, Bucko. I came here with a crush."

Methos rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, Kitten. Anyway, once we came in, it didn't take either of us long to realize that it would remain neither little nor a crush. So, we've been doing a great deal of talking and what it comes down to is, we want to invite you into the relationship."

Phil was stunned into silence. He'd spent a long time pushing his feelings aside, certain that he'd never get the chance with either one of them, and this was the last thing he could have expected. He sat for a moment in shock, then reached for his glass and drained it. "Why? I mean, compared to you, I'm nothing special…"

"That is enough of that," Kate said, giving him a glare. "You are absolutely something special."

"Everything you've seen and done, but you still believe in heroes and that…" Methos let out a bark of laughter. "That is amazing. You make us want to do better, to _be_ better. To be people you can believe in."

Phil wasn't sure what he was going to do about their invitation, but he knew what to say about that. "You are, both of you, absolutely are."

"We're nothing like the Captain."

"No, but who is? Captain Rogers, Darius, they're good people because they just _are_. The two of you, though, have to make that choice. That you do amazes me. And the fact that I in any way inspire that choice is one of the best compliments I've ever been given." He let that sink in then sat back. "The question is, what do you want out of this? Because you've made it very clear that you come as a pair, so if it's sex…"

"No," Kate said. When Methos elbowed her, she gave a wry smile. "Okay, I'm speaking for myself here. I'm a very tactile creature, it's true, and I do need physical contact. But that doesn't have to mean sex, and sex isn't the only form of intimacy. Hell, I've already given you more of myself than I ever gave my husband. I've done the fantastic sex shitty relationship thing, Phil, I'll take the fantastic relationship no sex over that every time."

Phil raised an eyebrow. "You'll forgive my skepticism."

She gave a wicked smile. "That's what dildos and vibes are for."

He let out a bark of laughter. "I suppose you're right. In any case, you can go to Methos."

"We don't want to look at it that way," Kate said. "Your relationship with me is completely separate from mine with him, is completely separate from yours with him. If the pairings can't stand on their own, the three of us won't work. Besides, I'd be after a relationship with you even without Methos."

"That… makes a lot of sense, actually." It was also nice to know that Kate wanted a relationship with him for his own merits.

"What we're offering is dates," Methos said. "Both as pairs and as the three of us. We're offering to take the time to get to know you, to see if you fit as well as it seems you will. And if that's the case… Well, we can talk about that then."

"You haven't talked about a physical relationship between you and I," Phil said to Methos. "I always pegged you for straight."

"I don't think of it in those terms. For most of my life, there were no words for such things, they either were, or they weren't. I have been attracted to—and acted on that attraction with—just about every type of gender and gender identity you can think of. In other words, if things progress to that point, hell yes."

Phil couldn't stop a blush. "You wouldn't be jealous of that, Kate?"

"Why should I be? You have things to offer that Methos doesn't—don't argue with me, you absolutely do," she said when he made a noise of disbelief. "Don't get me wrong, I would never turn you down. But anything physical would progress on your terms."

Phil leaned forward to rest his arms on his legs, sat that way in silence for a long time. "There's the team to consider."

"We keep it professional with each other in the field, we're pretty confident we can do the same with you," Kate said.

He glanced at them. "You don't worry that I wouldn't be able to?"

"The thought honestly never crossed our minds," Methos said. "You're too collected, too professional. If you want to do this and think it may be a problem, obviously we'll have to work it out."

Phil shook his head. "It shouldn't be an issue." He turned to face them fully. "This isn't to fix what's wrong with your relationship? The issue that's kept you from getting married?"

"It's not like that," Methos said. "The reason we haven't gotten married is because, in the eventuality that we did, well, this, we didn't want you to feel like an intruder."

"When we say we want you as a full partner, we mean it," Kate said. "We were afraid that you wouldn't feel like that if we were married before we asked you out."

Another compliment, Phil thought, falling silent as he thought. "I need some time," he finally said. "This is… unexpected, to say the least."

"Of course," Kate said, voice gentle. "Take all the time you need. And if you say no now, don't worry that you won't be able to change your mind. We'll still be here if you do."

His brow furrowed. "You wouldn't find someone else?"

Methos shook his head. "Phil, this isn't us looking for a third and thinking you'll do. This is us finding you and thinking we can make a relationship work. It isn't anything we want to offer anyone else. This is for you, and you alone."

"Oh." And that was, perhaps, most unexpected of all.

The silence was shorter this time, and Kate was the one who broke it. "We'll go, let you get some rest. But we've meant every word we've said."

Phil nodded, standing as they did. "And regardless of what I decide, thank you. It's extremely flattering."

Methos smiled. "You're a special man, Phil. There aren't many like you around."

"Not many people would be able to accept us."

Methos shrugged. "Barton grew up in the circus; he won't bat an eye. We'll need your dads on board, of course, and Peggy, but other than them we really don't care what anyone has to say."

That was even more comforting, Phil thought. If his dads couldn't accept it that would make it all but impossible, and it was nice to know that Kate and Methos recognized that. "Okay. I'll let you know. I don't know when, but I'll let you know."

Kate leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Like we said. Take your time."

Methos gripped Phil's arm for a moment, then followed Kate out. Phil locked up behind them, then decided to sleep on it. It was everything he'd wanted, and he had no idea what to do about it.


End file.
